Lubricator.



L. R! HOFFMAN.

LUBRIGATOR. APPLIOATION FILISD 00T. 26, 1907.

900,280, Patented oct. 6, 190s.

W asgc' ,y `70k/af 1W anonima closing a chamber LLOYDQR. HOFFMAN, OF OILCITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. o, 1908.

Application filed October 26, 1907. Serial No. 399,376.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD R. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State .ofPennsylvania,

specication.

This invention has reference to improvements in lubricators, and itsobject is to provide a lubricator `particularly adapted for the feedingof lubricants to the pistons of explosive engines.

The invention comprises, essentially, a lubricant holder which may be ofthe ordinary glass cell type to which is connectedl a chamber into whichlatter the lubricant (oil) gravitates and from which the oil is fed dropby drop, orgfaster, if desired, by means of a suitable needle valve. Thelubricant reservoir is supported upon a casing ininto which the oil-fromthe sight feed is conducted, and from which chamber the oil` flowsdirectly to the piston. Leading olf from this chamber is a blow-ofi'lpipe or opening through which any products of explosions leakingpast thepacking rings and entering the chamber from which the oil l reaches the`piston `will find an easy escape. Furthermore, there is provision forthe ready` filling of the oilreservoir by hinging the latter so that theneedle valve chamber may be raised above the reservoir and oil `bethenintroduced through a suitable orice therein, and this hinglng of thereservoir likewise provides a ready means for` stopping the flow of Oilfrom the `reservoir without disturbing any adjustments, besidesproviding an obtrusively visible evidence of the fact` that thelubricant container is in the inoperative position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration ofthefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with the?accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in whichdrawings,

Figure 1 is a central section through thei improved lubricator. 'Fig 2is an elevation of the same with parts shown in section.

`Referring to the` drawings, thereis shown a receptacle or container 1which may be a` glass cylinder resting on a base 2 andclosed at. theother end by a cap 3 with a connecting vrod 4 interior to the cylinder 1and screwing into bosses 5 on the interior'lof the base and cap,respectively. .Washers 6 of rubber or other suitable material makeoilhave invented a new and use- 'ful Lubricator, of which the followingis a vopposite side of the gines. For this reason,

ltight joints between the glass cylinder 1 and the base and cap. As thusfar described, the lubricator may be of the ordinary constructionl foundon the market.

Cast on the base 2 is a small supplemental container 7 into which anopening 8 in the base leads, so that oil contained within the receptacle1 will gravitate into this supplemental container. 'Ilapped into thecontainer is a nipple 9 receiving at the other end a casing 10preferably cylindrical in form. `When the lubricant container 1 is inoperative position, the supplemental container 7 is immediately belowthe base, and the nipple 9 projects horizontally while the longitudinalaxis of the'casing 10 is vertical, all as shown in Fig. 1. The nipple 9enters the lower end of the casing 10 and on the casing near the upperend there is an orifice 11.

Extending longitudinally and axially through the casing l0 is a screwrod 12 passing through a suitable threaded opening in the center of thetop end' of the casing, and above the casing the rod terminates in ahandle 13 by means of which it may be rotated, and between this handleand the top of the casing, the rod carries a wing nut 14. The lower endof the rod 12 is formed into a conical valve 15 adapted to enter the`upper end of a small axial passage 16 formed in a boss 17 on the lowerend of the casing 10. Now, when the receptacle 1 contains oil, thelatter will gravitate into the casing 10 and, when the valve 15 isopened, the oil will iow through the conduit or passage 16 in quantitiescommensurate with the opening of the valve, and this valve may beregulated to permit the oil to drop at slow intervals, or, if needed, torun in a stream through the passage 16. Whatever the adjustment of thevalve, it may be maintained `in the adjusted position by the wing nut14, which may be screwed down into engage ment with the top of thecasing 10.

The lubricator of this invention is designed more particularly for useon the cylinders of explosive engines for supplyin g cylinder oil to thepistons of such enthere is conventionally shown in the drawings a gasengine cylinder 18. At an appropriate point, this cylinder is tapped toreceive a nipple 19 formed on one side of a drum casing 20, the latterbeing preferably in the form of a flat cylinder, though it may beotherwise shaped. Formed on the periphery of the drum Q0 opposite thenipple 19 are two spaced ears 21 between which is pivoted a suitable lug22 formed on the exterior of the base 2 at its center. A bolt 23 servesto pivotally connect the lug 22 between the ears 21. The drum 2.0between the ears 21 carries a stop pin Q4 arranged to engage thesupplemental container 7 when the main container 1 is in the uprightposition shown in Fig. 1. `When the lubricator is in the operative orupright position, it is there held by the overbalancing action of thecasing 10, which projects to one side of the main container 1, and thisoverbalancing action of the container 10 is resisted by the stop pin24;.

Tapped into. one side of the drum 2O at about its middle is a pipe 25having one end bent into an elbow 26 so that the open end of the pipe isimmediately below the lower end of the passage 16. Leading from theperiphery 0f the drum 2 0 in the upper portion thereof is a small pipe27 having its upper end carried to a convenient height and there open.Now, let it be presumed that the container 1 is full, orv nearly full,of oil. This oil will flow down into the supplemental container 7 andthrough the nipple 9 into the casing 10, air returning through saidnipple into the container 1 to replace the oil that is outflowing. Assoon, however, as the oil in the supplemental container 10 reaches thetop of the nipple, the iow of oil outward ceases. Now, on opening thevalve 15 for an appropriate distance, the oil finds its way past thevalve and through the passage 16 in quantities commensurate with theopening` of the valve and then passes into the pipe 25 from which theoil flows into the drum 2O and through the nipple 19 into the cylinder1S, and so serves to lubricate the piston in said cylinder in the usualmanner.

Now, it transpires at times in explosive engines that the explodinggases blow out past the packing rings and thus sometimes cause aregurgitation of the lubricating oil. This, in the structure such asshown in the drawings where the sight feed is open, would tend tovforcibly ejectoil through the receptive end of the pipe 25, and the oilthus ejected would be scattered over the machinery. This is, however,prevented by the pipe 27 which provides a path for the gases out of thedirect line thereof as they enter through the nipple 19, and relievingthe pipe 25 from the blast of the gases so that the oil coming from themain reservoir 1 will continue to flow through said pipe 25 withoutinterruption. Now, in order to stop the flow of oil from the lubricator,it is turned on the pivot bolt 23 until the reservoir 1 is horizontalwith the casing 10 uppermost. Under these conditions, any oil that maybe in the casing 10 gravitates into the main reservoir 1. lVhen thelubricator is in this inoperative position, then lubricating oil may bepoured through the orii'ice 11 into the casing 10 and will readily findits way through the nipple 9 into the main reservoir 1. lt is by thismeans that the main reservoir' 1 is tilled with lubricating oil.

hloving the lubricator from the vertical to the horizontal position torender it inoperative also renders it obtrusively evident to the eyethat it is inoperative, and it is seen at a glance whether or not thelubricator is in position to supply lubricant when the engine isrunning, nor is the operator liable to forget to place the lubricator inworking condition.

I claim :H

1. In a lubricator, a pivotally mounted main receptacle, a supplementalreceptacle below the same in free connnunieation therewith, anotherreceptacle connected at its lower end to the supplemental receptacle andextending above the point of connection, there being an outlet at thelower end of the third receptacle, a valve for said outlet, and meansfor conducting lubricant therefrom to the parts to be lubricated.

9.. In a lubricator, a main receptacle for the lubricant, anotherreceptacle connected to the main receptacle and extending above thepoint of connection, said second-named receptacle being provided with afreely open orifice near its upper end and a lubricant outlet at thelower end, and a valve in the said second receptacle for the lubricantoutlet for regulating the How of lubricant therefrom.

3. In a lubricator, a main receptacle pivotally mounted, anotherreceptacle connected to the main receptacle and extending when inoperative position above the point of connection and also provided abovesaid point of connection with an orifice, a controlling valve in thesecond-named receptacle, and means for supporting the lubricator in anoperative position with the second-named receptacle at one side thereofand in an inoperative position with thc second-named receptacleuppermost.

a. A lubricator for explosive engines comprising a chamber connectedwith the interior of the engine cylinder', an oil duct leading to saidchamber and open at the end. remote therefrom, an escape pipe leading`from the chamber to the atmosphere for diverting the exploded gases fromthe oil duct, al lubricant reservoir hinged to the top of the ychamberand provided with a lubricant outlet in ope 1ative relation to the openend of the oil duct when the reservoir is in active position, and agoverning means for controlling the tiow of oil from the reservoir tothe duct.

5. A lubricator for gas engines comprising a lubricant receptacle,afchamber in direct communication with the interior of the cylinder ofthe gas engine, an oil duct connected at one end to the chamber and atthe other end in operative relation to and spaced from the lubricantoutlet from the lubricant receptacle but not physically connectedtherewith, ,said space between the lu-V bricant outlet and the open endof the duct constituting a sight feed for the lubricant, and a ventleading fromthe chamber to the atmosphere for diverting exploded gases.from the lubricant receptacle.

6. In a lubricator for explosive engines, a chamber connected with theinterior of the enginecylinder, an oil duct leading to said chamber outof line with the connection from the chamber to the engine cylinder, andan escapevpipe connected to the chamber also out of line with theconnection between the chamber and the engine cylinder and leading tothe atmosphere.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy slgnature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LLOYD R. HQFFMAN.

Witnesses:

A. A. HOFFMAN, P. A. WILBERT.

